DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Pac-Five's Shandon Augustus spun out of the grasp of Kaiser's Isaac Saffery, 1, and Thomas Khamvongsa, 24, on a touchdown run in the second quarter. The 18-yard score was the first of two touchdowns in the game for Augustus.

Augustus, Beirne lead Pac-Five to win

Shandon Augustus waited nearly two years to play, but he never rested.

The Pac-Five senior rushed for 176 yards on 23 carries, including a 32-yard tie-breaking touchdown with 53 seconds left, as the Wolfpack edged Kaiser 28-14 last night at Aloha Stadium.

"Shandon transferred from Pearl City and sat out last year, but he practiced every day," Wolfpack coach Kip Botelho said. "You gotta love him."

Quarterback Bryson Beirne, in a far more subdued role this season, completed 13 of his 22 attempts for 208 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. The senior, coming off a knee injury and bound for the University of Arizona next year, did not throw an interception. He fired scoring passes of 14 yards to Matthew Bayan and 57 yards to Jordan Ho-Ching in the final minute of play to seal the win.

Ho-Ching finished with seven receptions for 127 yards.

"We kicked ourselves a lot of times with penalties," Botelho noted. "It's all correctable stuff. I liked the effort, and I'm happy with the way our kids battled."

Pac-Five's win overshadowed a gritty effort by Kaiser running back Isaac Saffrey, who rushed for 169 yards on 15 attempts.

"That kid is a strong runner. He was tough to bring down," Botelho said.

Saffrey bolted for an 80-yard touchdown run to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead with 8:10 remaining in the second quarter.

The Wolfpack responded with a nine-play, 74-yard drive. Augustus shredded a tackle, spun away and dove over the goal line for his first score. The game was tied at 7 with 3:49 left in the first half.

"At the half, we talked about it, the mistakes, the penalties, the fumbles," Botelho said. "We had 11 first downs and just seven points."

Kaiser opened the second half with a seven-play, 66-yard march.

Quarterback Skyler Chan found Jake Esteban open over the middle, and the senior broke away for a 44-yard touchdown. Kaiser led 14-7 with 9:20 to go in the third quarter.

Pac-Five struggled offensively, but managed to drive for a game-tying touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Beirne connected with Bayan on a slant route for a 14-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14 with 9:55 left.

Kaiser punter Kyle Niiro pinned Pac-Five with a 49-yard punt that dribbled out at the 1-yard line. The Wolfpack drove to mid-field before punting, but an illegal-use-of-hands penalty by Kaiser gave them a first down. An unsportsmanlike call against Esteban, who had returned the punt deep into Pac-Five territory, added another 15 yards.

Pac-Five regained possession at its 46-yard line, and five plays later, Augustus broke loose on the right side en route to a go-ahead touchdown with 53 seconds left.

After an interception by Scotty Irvine, Pac-Five added another touchdown when Beirne connected with Ho-Ching on a third-and-8 call. That gave the Wolfpack a two-touchdown lead with 22 seconds remaining.

Pac-Five, a team that usually fares well in nonconference play, can't afford to lose key players before the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season begins.

"We've got players at the skill positions, but we're not that deep," Botelho said. "We've gotta take care of our guys, know how to practice."

Iolani 22, Radford 16

Ryan Dung returned from a first-half injury to spark Iolani's offense as the Raiders scored 19 unanswered points in the nightcap of the Father Bray Classic.

Dung hit nine of 13 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the second half to rally Iolani from a 14-3 halftime deficit. He found Ronnie Hirokawa for a 6-yard scoring toss and then hit Lionel Fujioka on a 5-yard slant for another score. That gave Iolani a 15-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Radford tacked on two points with a safety late in the game, but got no closer.

Dung finished 14-for-24 for 217 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Raiders opened the game with a 38-yard field goal by Cody Adams, but a miss by the senior and an injury to Dung slowed momentum.

With an edge in field position for most of the first half, the Rams took advantage. Maika fired a 31-yard pass to Kyle Blair for a first down at the 4-yard line. Two plays later, Maika connected with the senior wide receiver for a touchdown pass, and Radford led 7-3 with 49 seconds to go in the opening quarter.

Maika got hot and moved the Rams offense quickly on a six-play, 66-yard drive. He lofted a spiral to Justin Lord for a 5-yard touchdown pass to give Radford a 14-3 lead with 6:48 left in the first half.